Adaptive Brake Assist
i Obs erv e th e "Importan t safet y notes" sec -
tion ( Y
page 68) .
Adaptive Brake Assis t provide s braking assis-
tance in hazardous situation s at speeds
abov e 4 mph (7 km/h). It uses radar sensor
technology to assess th e traffic situation .
G WARNIN G
Adaptive Brake Assis t canno t always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In suc h cases, Adaptive Brake Assis t can :R
interven e unnecessarilyR
no t interven e
There is a ris k of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th e traffic sit -
uation and be read y to brake. Terminate th e
intervention in a non-critical drivin g situation .
G WARNIN G
Adaptive Brake Assis t does no t react:R
to people or animals R
to oncomin g vehiclesR
to crossing traffic R
to stationary obstacles R
when cornering
As a result , th e Adaptive Brake Assis t may no t
interven e in all critical conditions. There is a
ris k of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th e traffic sit -
uation and be read y to brake.
Due to th e nature of th e system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tion s may also caus e Brake Assis t to inter-
vene.
Wit h th e help of Adaptive Brake Assist, th e
distanc e warning signal can detec t obstacles
that are in th e pat h of your vehicl e for an
extended period of time.
If adaptive Brake Assis t has detecte d that
there is a ris k of a collision , it calculates th e
braking force necessar y to avoi d a collision . Should you apply th e brakes vigorously,
Adaptive Brake As sist will automatically
increas e th e braking force to a level suitable
for th e traffic conditions. X
Kee p th e brak e pedal depressed until th e
emergenc y braking situation is over.
AB S prevents th e wheels from locking .
The brakes will wor k normally again if: R
you release th e brak e pedal .R
there is no longer any danger of a collision .R
no obstacle is detecte d in fron t of your
vehicle.
Adaptive Brake As sist is then deactivated.
Vehicles wit h PRE-SAFE ®
: if adaptive Brake
Assis t require s particularly high brak e pre s-
sure, preventive passenger protection meas -
ures (PRE-SAF E ®
) are deployed sim ultane -
ously.
Up to vehicl e speeds of aroun d 15 5 mph
(25 0 km/h), adaptive Brake Assis t is capable
of reacting to moving objects that hav e
already been recognized as suc h at least once
ove r th e period of observation . Adaptive
Brake Assis t does no t reac t to st ationary
obstacles.
If Adaptive Brake As sist is no t available due to
a malfunction in th e radar sensor system, th e
brak e system remain s available wit h full
brak e boosting effec t and BAS.
In particular, th e detection of obstacles can
be impaire d if there is: R
there is dirt on th e sensors or anythin g else
covering th e sensors R
there is sn ow or heav y rainR
there is interferenc e by other radar source sR
there are st ron g radar reflections, for
exampl e in parking garages R
a narrow vehicl e traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbik e R
a vehicl e traveling in fron t on a differen t lin e
relative to th e center of your vehicl eR
ne w vehicles or after th e COLLISION PRE -
VE NTION ASSIST system has been ser v-
ice d72
Driving safety systems
Safety
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in ( Y
page 164).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 68).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
4ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
In appropriate driving situations, activate the
off-road program ( Y
page 258). Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated ( Y
page 258).
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Only operate the vehicle for a maximum of
ten seconds on a brake test dynamometer.
Switch off the ignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a two-axle dyna-
mometer. Before you operate the vehicle
on such a dynamometer, please consult a
qualified workshop. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
ESP ®
is only deactivated if the
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces. R
traction control is still activated. R
ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Off-road ESP ®
(vehicles with ON&OFF-
ROAD package) An ESP ®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated ( Y
page 258).
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there
is oversteering or understeering, thus improv-
ing traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilization
General information
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP ®
assists you in this situation.
ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and
limiting the engine output until the vehicle/
trailer combination has stabilized.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer
combination) begins to lurch, you can only
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
Trailer stabilization is active above speeds of
about 37 mph (60 km/h).
ESP ®
trailer stabilization does not work if
ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a
malfunction. Crosswind Assist General information
Strong crosswinds can cause your vehicle to
deviate from a straight course. The crosswind
driving assistance function integrated into
ESP ®
significantly reduces these effects.
ESP ®
intervenes automatically according to
the direction and intensity of the crosswinds
affecting your vehicle.
ESP intervenes with stabilizing braking to
assist you in keeping the vehicle in the lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle speeds
above 50 mph (80 km/h) when driving
straight ahead or cornering gently.
Important safety notes
Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems ( Y
page 68).
G WARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the
risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps ( Y
page 327) as well as dis-
play messages ( Y
page 293).Driving safety systems 75
Safety Z